Seed region SNPs alter miRNA expression profile in response to insulin in bovine adipose tissue in vivo

• Applicant: Dr. Afshin Hosseini Amirhandeh
• Subject Area: Animal Breeding, Animal Nutrition, Animal Husbandry
• Term: from 2011 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 194160677

Insulin is a potent regulator of lipogenesis and homeostasis. Hypo-insulinemia and decreased insulin responsiveness of adipose tissue (AT) occur simultaneously in early lactation, resulting in increased glucose availability for insulin-independent uptake by the mammary gland and greater mobilization of AT. Although there is some evidence for changes in some genes associated with insulin signaling in adipose during early lactation, post-transcriptional mechanisms remain unknown. Micro RNA (miRNA) are one of four small, phylogeneticallyconserved, non–protein-coding RNAs that mediate posttranscriptional gene repression by inhibiting protein translation or by destabilizing target mRNA. In humans, insulin affects the micro RNA (miRNA) expression profile. Further, there are reports indicating the effect of miRNAs’ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on inter-individual differences in drug response in humans. In this project, a bovine in vivo model will be used to study the effect of insulin in early lactation on post-transcriptional expression profile in subcutaneous (SC) AT. Furthermore, we will identify the seed region SNPs of differentially expressed (up- or downregulated) miRNAs using molecular approaches in bovine AT. To confirm the differential effect of identified miRNA mutations on the target genes’ mRNA degradation, we will use a reporter vector in an in vitro study. This will represent the first study implicating miRSNP (Micro RNA SNP) on insulin response in bovine SC in early lactation.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Juan J. Loor